Champion of My Heart
by MarySedai
Summary: Some thoughts going though the mind of Tarrant Hightop. Set after the balcony scene in the movie with just he and Alice


**Ok, so it's been over 3 years since I've ever written a fanfic so I'm totally out of practice. Not that my old ones were any good tbh (I re-read them and can't believe how atrocious my grammar is)**

**Anywho, from watching Alice the other day, I remembered how much I loved it at the cinema and how much the Hatter obviously loves Alice. I was half convinced that they would get together with the way he looked at her, but then remembered it's a family film ^_^ **

**So I decided that I'd do this one-shot based on what I thought might be going on inside the Hatters' head after the balcony scene with he and Alice. That Hatters' face though...i know he's a fictional character and that it's Johnny Depp under there, but I wanted to give him a hug :) poor thing.**

**I appologise if this is awful, it's a quick job so it isn't perfect! And also I own nothing of Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton or Johnny Depp...or anything related etc etc.**

'Only a dream' Thought Tarrant Hightop, still standing behind Alice on the balcony after their talk of the Frabjous day. The night wasn't exactly cold, but it had a crisp scent to it, like a one that signalled change.

For better.

Or for worse.

The moon was full and cast its silvery light upon the fair young woman stood gazing wonderingly at the scenery ahead.

Alice still believed that this world and all the people in it; him included, were only imaginary. Sure, this world was likely to be so different to hers and one would think one might have gone mad and think it wasn't real. But to have her believe he was not real hurt him deeper than he might have expected. It almost surprised him. Almost. He hadn't admitted it to himself earlier, but odd thoughts had been there as soon as he had laid eyes upon this young champion-to-be when she returned to Underland. He was unsure about what they meant.

Tarrant felt sad. Sad and confused. Should he tell Alice? Would it be better if he didn't? It was just that her muchness had very much returned! Whenever she was near, it was like he was close to sane again. Complete, comforted, happy. Alive. He might be mad, but Tarrant Hightop loved feeling alive. Alice was now very much part of that feeling too.

But once Alice fought the Jabberwockey, she would want to return home. And this mad hatter would no longer feel so alive.

Suddenly it all seemed too much. He felt tears coming to his eyes at the thought of his love leaving him. 'Wait', he thought. 'My love?'

"Hatter?" He looked up to see Alice looking at him with worrying but caring eyes. He put on a smile and fought the tears. He couldn't tell her, he realised as he looked back at her, taking in her deep eyes and smooth skin. It would only complicate things. He might even scare her; after all he knew he wasn't a dashing young man. He was mad. Yes, that too!

"Yes Alice dear?"

"You seem troubled, are you ok?"

'Ok?' thought Tarrant, sarcastically. 'No, you make me want to crumble the way you look at me and I can't even tell you, but you don't think I'm real, so then why do I feel this way?'

"Sad? No, Alice! Why would I be sad? We have our champion, the right Alice! And I am no longer captive of the…head!" he exclaimed, extending his hands to roughly the diameter of the red queens head, his eyes drifting off into some dark corner of his mind with memories of that woman. After a moment he returned to the present and smiled one of his wide, toothy smiles, which seemed to be infectious as Alice's face turned from worrying to very smiley in an instant.

She stepped up to him and hugged him. Tarrant could not help himself; he took in her scent, but regretted it a moment later because it only made his heart ache all the more.

"Thank you for everything." Alice said and stepped back again. "You've made my adventures here wondrous, Hatter. Dangerous and I still don't believe I'm your champion, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

She smiled again and without another word, left him there on the balcony. It was very hard not to follow.

"You are my champion, Alice" whispered Tarrant into the night air. Now he knew what those feelings meant. "Champion of my heart. You always have been and you always will be."

**Short, but I didn't wamt to make it too long. **

**Let me know if you like it!**


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